Headway Newsletter Summer 2025
Hello Everyone!
This is the Summer 2025 Newsletter and yes, as I type this, the sun is shining and it is very warm. On that topic, do remember to drink water, use sun cream and wear a hat!
It has been a busy time at Headway Gloucestershire and it will of course continue to be so, as we support each other with ideas, wise words, actions, thoughts and deeds.
There will be some additional works taking place outside and inside the building over the rest of the year. This includes external repairs and repainting, repairs to bathrooms, repairs in the Living skills kitchen and hopefully new flooring for the reception area and Day Room.
You may have noticed some changes and more options being available through Headway Gloucestershire, so just to confirm:
Carer support groups – these happen once a month, one month in the morning and the next month in the evening. These groups provide support for families and carers.
Peer support Groups – these happen once a month in Gloucester, Cheltenham and Coleford and are an opportunity for those not attending the Enablement Centre in Gloucester to access support.
Our Community Links Service provides outreach support across Gloucestershire. This can be brain injury recovery advice for the individual and their families and supports them as they come to terms with the changed circumstances brought about by brain injury. We can visit people at home and help with aspects such as PIP Applications/Appeals, support them to access other services and advocate for them, or help them manage their return to work.
Our Enablement Service is centre based in Gloucester and open every weekday offering activities that focus on the five elements of rehabilitation: emotional functioning; cognitive functioning; learning; social interaction and behaviour. This takes the form of a structured timetable so that people can select the activities that help them work towards their goals. We work one to one and also employ a group format to harness the unique recovery benefits of peer contact and support. Our programme changes every six weeks and includes pottery, woodwork, courses, communication groups, exercise and more
Our Hubs are a pilot offer at the moment and will eventually be available in Community Hubs around Gloucestershire. The hubs will offer activities and support in the same way as the Enablement Service but for less hours and in different locations.
We are pleased to have received a grant from Barnwood Trust. This support will enable us to provide Enablement in the Community in hubs across Gloucestershire for people with an acquired brain injury, which will in addition to our centre in Gloucester, our Peer Support groups, Carer support groups and Community Links Outreach support make a meaningful difference to our community. This will allow us to deliver sessions in up to five rural and urban locations across Gloucestershire for people with an acquired brain injury. This will enable us to increase the number of people able to access our service and help to decrease the feeling of isolation through the creation of more local groups.We are pleased to have received a grant from Barnwood Trust. This support will enable us to provide Enablement in the Community in hubs across Gloucestershire for people with an acquired brain injury, which will in addition to our centre in Gloucester, our Peer Support groups, Carer support groups and Community Links Outreach support make a meaningful difference to our community. This will allow us to deliver sessions in up to five rural and urban locations across Gloucestershire for people with an acquired brain injury. This will enable us to increase the number of people able to access our service and help to decrease the feeling of isolation through the creation of more local groups.
We celebrated both of these and here are some pictures!
Multi sensory event for ABI Week – On 19th May we held a multi-sensory day at Headway Gloucestershire. Our thanks to James Edward Marks who made this happen, he is also a proud Brain Injury card holder. Here is a link to a summary of the day in video
Play La.bz, The Music Works and CoDa Dance Company provided multi-sensory activities. It was amazing and thank you.
Estelle is retiring after 11 years at Headway Gloucestershire within our Community Links team. Thank you so very much Estelle for your caring, passionate and knowledgeable support during this time and we wish you all the best for the future.
Christine moves onto a freelance contract with us and so will be working up to 20 hours a month in the Community Links team whilst she develops her new role outside Headway Gloucestershire
We have recruited two people to the Community Links Team to join Cath and will introduce them to you over the coming months.
There will be some additional recruitment to support the development of the Hubs and I will update on this in the next newsletter.
The garden is proving popular and is now on the programme of activities for the Day Centre. The funding we received last year has really helped make this happen. The raised beds are in place with topsoil; a games area is in place with Boules and other activities. A plan for a small sensory garden is being developed. Please bear with us, as not everything will be done this year, but that gives us something to aim for next year!
Thank you to those that have been involved, either in providing feedback or attending the panel meetings. We have now held two meetings There is a representative selected from each day and with support from a member of our team, they collect feedback which we then discuss in the meeting.
We produce minutes of the meetings if you would like to see them and these are shared with the Trustees. We are making progress with taking forward suggestions. For example, some suggested amendments to the lunch offer have been implemented, including salad and (not on the same plate) hot sauce for people who would like it. Whatever we do, we must make it cost effective, as our income through fees does not cover our expenditure each month. I do a lot of work to generate additional funds but this is an ongoing challenge. Also, please bear in mind that it is the support workers that serve lunch, they are not catering experts!
Recently we have discussed ideas around ensuring that all sessions during the day are maximised including the one before lunch and that afternoon activities are engaging. We have also discussed swearing and appropriate behaviour and language. A plea from me, please treat the team and everyone at Headway Gloucestershire with the respect they deserve. Also remember that sexual harassment legislation does include third parties now, so that includes anyone in our building.
We continue to collaborate with the University of Gloucestershire with our memorandum of understanding (MOU). The students undertaking their work experience with us, has been a wonderful experience for Day Centre users, staff and the students. The further qualitative feedback following the research last year has been really valuable and we are working with a Sports Student on the development of an exercise programme. The University are also working with us to develop further validated research around the impact of rehabilitation on recovery and establishing an evaluation process for the new Hub approach.
Paige and Lewis have been in a video for the NHS Bath and Northeast Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) promoting the T level qualifications which is how Paige joined us for her work placement.
Thank you for your suggestions which include:
Day Trip to Weston, Cruise for the Disabled – this is not within our remit and we do not have enough staff to resource day trips as well as deliver our services. We are arranging a minibus for the ABI Games and will see how this goes in terms of logistics. The cost is just under £200.00 for the minibus and driver and that is only a maximum of 11 people.
Carol Service around Town – sadly we do not have the resources for this, but if enough people are interested, we will try to arrange to at least sing a few carols in the hospital reception at Christmas time
Exhibit people’s art work – as part of the building works, we will have a frame installed with clips so that art work can be regularly displayed and rotated.
Summer plant sale/cake sale – something to consider perhaps next Summer
A lot of diabetics attending Headway, a suitable meal would be useful low sugar or carbs – we are looking at options regarding this
A summer fete or xmas fete – we have a Christmas Fayre each year and will look at what might be possible to do something in the summer
Therapy with Animals would be great – we do have two people who bring in Therapy Dogs and will be continuing with this to make sure there is an opportunity at some point for people attending on each day of the week
A bit of a long newsletter and Thank you for reading it!
Julie
Julie Reader-Sullivan
(CEO Headway Gloucestershire)
